Portage woman charged with misdemeanors after dog attack

PORTAGE — A Portage woman faces misdemeanor charges that her two pitbulls bit an Australian shepherd and one of its owners last week.

Kristine Landis must appear in Kalamazoo County District Court for two counts of having animals running at large, two counts of a dog biting a person and two counts of destruction of property.

The wounded dog, Blue, is recovering from lacerations and bites. Blue’s owner, who had been about to walk the dog, is recovering from bites her hands suffered while she tried to protect the dog.

The attack occurred when the pitbulls ran across the street while Blue was outside for a walk.

Landis and her husband, Chris, said that while they were not at home Friday someone — the couple doesn’t know who — let their pitbulls out of their fenced yard and that’s how the dogs were able to escape.

But the Landis’, who weren’t present at the attack, don’t believe that both their dogs were involved in the assault Friday.

They admit their dog, Sasha, became “animal aggressive” about six years ago after she was attacked by another dog at their former residence.

But they say Maycee gets along well with other dogs and they also note that there was no blood on Maycee in the aftermath of the attack.